Results 14,321-14,340 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (18 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 660 to 663, inclusive, together. The HSE compiles monthly Performance Reports which are published on the HSE website . These reports include data on Children in Care, including the number of children placed in Private Residential Centres. I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Child and Family Agency and I will forward this to the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (18 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The expiration of declarations is covered under Section 41 (1) of the Adoption Act, 2010. The section provides that a declaration of eligibility and suitability expires after 24 months from the date of issuance of the declaration or after a further period of not more than 12 months that the Adoption Authority may specify. I understand that at the time of drafting of the legislation it was...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Security Checks (18 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has not been swept for electronic or any other type of surveillance or bugging equipment since establishment in June 2011

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Bodies Establishment (18 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Child and Family Agency is the only organisation/agency established by my Department since its establishment in June 2011. The Child and Family Agency, established on the first of January 2014 under the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, has statutory responsibility for services previously provided by the National Educational Welfare Board and the Family Support Agency. In addition, the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (18 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Funding is made available by my Department to support a number of childcare programmes which provide a range of supports to parents of pre-school and after-school children. These programmes include the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, the Childhood Education and Training Support (CETS) programme and the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. The CCS programme...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Programmes (18 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has provided funding of €49,282 to the Meitheal Programme in Co. Wexford for the 2013/2014 school year. This funding was provided under the School Completion Programme following the consideration and approval of a service proposal received from Wexford Local Development in relation to the Meitheal programme. The School Completion Programme (SCP) is a targeted intervention...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Remuneration (18 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: An increment is an increase in pay for which provision is made in a pay scale. Prior to the Haddington Road Agreement, increments were granted annually provided an officer's services are satisfactory and in accordance with Finance Circular 9/1987. Revised arrangements under Haddington Road (Circular 8/2013) provide generally for an extension of the interval period from twelve to fifteen...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: State Bodies Issues (18 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised that none of the State bodies under the remit of my Department subscribe to the daily inflation data for Ireland collected by the company concerned.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Data (13 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are no youth workers directly employed by the Child and Family Agency, TUSLA, formerly part of the Health Service Executive. The Social Work and Family Support workers employed by the Child & Family Agency work closely with their colleagues in all agencies to ensure that vulnerable young people fully engage in community youth services.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Support Services (13 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Family is the most important influence in a child's life. From birth, children depend on parents and family to protect them and provide for their needs. Sometimes parents need help, support and additional resources to do this. Family Support Services provide a flexible programme of interventions which are provided through a broad range of skilled personnel including Family Support Workers,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (13 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 234 and 235 together. The Republic of India has ratified the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, as such it is not necessary to have a bilateral agreement with India. As a contracting state under the Hague Convention, the Adoption Act 2010 provides that adoptions by Irish prospective adoptive...

Other Questions: Garda Vetting of Personnel (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I understand that a significant number of staff have been appointed to the Garda vetting bureau. As the Deputies are aware, delays in vetting were previously of the order of 14 or 15 weeks. The most recent information I received indicates that these have been reduced to five or six weeks, which is a substantial change. It is all very well for Deputy Troy to refer to the sharing of...

Other Questions: Garda Vetting of Personnel (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will.

Other Questions: Children in Care (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 197 together. Under the Child Care Act 1991 and the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, the newly established Child and Family Agency has a statutory duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. The placement of children in care is governed by regulations. These provide for the welfare of children and for...

Other Questions: Children in Care (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes. The definition is very broad and once a child is in care of the State, it is effectively acting in loco parentis. Essentially, what is involved here is promoting the safety, well-being and welfare of children. That is very clearly spelled out in the legislation and it guides the work being done in respect of children in care. It is important that the Deputy has highlighted this...

Other Questions: Garda Vetting of Personnel (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 15 and 30 together. I am aware that a problem exists in respect of the sharing of student vetting information by training colleges with a third party. It is my understanding that timing issues between a student finding a placement with a service provider and the time they need to be on placement may not allow for the service provider to obtain Garda...

Other Questions: Garda Vetting of Personnel (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is crucial that the integrity of the vetting procedure be maintained. If there is any question of the Data Protection Commissioner feeling this will not be the case and there is not a separate vetting procedure, I will have to resolve that with him. If he is satisfied with that, it is a question of us further examining the preschool regulations to see if the resolution suggested by the...

Other Questions: Garda Vetting of Personnel (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputy. Clearly, this is an urgent issue. If the Garda vetting clearance given to colleges is not deemed sufficient for the placements, the vetting unit has additional staff. Many Members have raised the issue of delays in securing Garda vetting clearance. The delays have been reduced considerably but I take the Deputy's point. My staff are in contact with the Data Protection...

Other Questions: Adoption Legislation (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am conscious of the efforts being made by Philomena Lee to highlight the issues relating to information on and tracing of adoptions and illegal registrations. This is an extremely sensitive matter, especially for birth mothers who may still feel the emotional conflicts associated with adoptions many years ago. I have not yet had the opportunity to meet Philomena Lee. I would welcome a...

Other Questions: Adoption Legislation (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will work proactively with Ms Lee and the Philomena Project, and will give it every assistance I can in terms of making data and records available. I have made such information available to this House in response to a number of parliamentary questions in recent months. We are still teasing out the complex constitutional issues that arise in regard to adoption tracing. I have previously...